I'm Coming Home
by clueingforcasdean
Summary: Just a short story I wrote on a rainy day. Castiel is a soldier, returning home from war. But will home even want him back? Please Review.


Castiel tapped his foot impatiently as he stared down at the miles of land below him. He looked around, and saw that his fellow soldiers were doing the same thing, all with different forms of hope on their worn faces. It was indescribable, the feeling of looking down and not seeing war-torn countries, but miles of green plains dotted with specks of houses. The woman sitting across from him had her cap pulled down over her heart, and was crying silently as she gazed through the plane window.

After eighteen months of bloody battlefields and horrific sights, Castiel was finally going home.

But home has a different meaning for everyone. The crying woman, Jody, had lost her son 6 months ago to cancer while she was deployed. This was going to be the first time she's seen her husband since she left. Cas had asked her what her idea of home is, and she replied wistfully, "Home for me is somewhere I can be with my family." The man sitting next to him, Benny, was homeless when he enrolled in the army. Upon his arrival, he will have no one to greet him, as he lost all of his family in the attacks of September 11. Yet, as the plane began his descent, he was the one with the biggest smile. "Home is a mug of hot coffee.." But for Castiel, home wasn't a place. No matter how much he loved the comfortable little apartment he shared, home for him was a person. A specific person, to be exact. One he sincerely hoped would be waiting for him at the airport.

Of course, there were thoughts racing through his mind, doubtful questions creeping up. What if he'd changed too much? What if nobody was waiting for him? What if Dean didn't want him anymore? He'd seen what war has done to people, and prayed to God it wouldn't happen to him.

No. He pushed those thoughts away quickly. Of course Dean would be there, if the letters he wrote meant anything. Of course they did. Of course he did.

The waiting was killing him. He looked down at his hands. They were shaking violently. He looked over next to him, and his fellow soldier's hands were doing the same. Tears were streaming down his face. He hadn't even realized it. Putting his head in this quaking hands, he wept silently until the pilot announced their arrival.

The second they had landed, Cas tried to stand, but fell right back into his seat. He cursed under his breath and tried again, this time gripping the handlebar. He looked out at the exit, where people were already filing out. It looked so far away.

At this point, he was getting sideways glances from his peers. After his third failed attempt to stand, Castiel gave in. Luckily, Benny was immediately at his side, and draped his arm underneath Cas's. By the time they made it to the little door, Benny was practically dragging him. It was then Cas remembered how to function, and pushed Benny off, throwing him a grateful smile.

A rush of air hit him as he stumbled down the metal stairs. There were people everywhere. He watched as Jody rushed down to meet her husband, a bittersweet feeling washing over him. Beside him, Benny was greeted by an old friend, and was pulled into a bear hug.

As more and more soldiers started filing out, Cas's scanning became more frantic. He slid down the cool metal of the plane until his head was aligned with his knees. Finally, finally, he spotted Dean's strong build, desperately searching around him. He rushed up to meet him, flinging himself into Dean with a joyful scream.

"DEAN!"

Dean was gripping him in a way that would knock the wind out of him if it wasn't gone already. "Cas-" he managed to get out before he chocked back a sob, and finally let the tears stream down his face, carrying his worries down with them.

On his shoulder, Castiel was silently weeping as he smelled the familiar scent that he had come to love. It smelled a little more like beer than it used to, but it was Dean. It was his Dean, and everything would be okay.

"Dean. Dean Dean Dean." He whispered. It was as if he couldn't stop saying his name. It rolled off his tongue with such each, like he had been doing it his whole life.

Dean's words were incoherent at this point, just vibrating mumbles with the occasional sob on Cas's head. He had imagined this moment so many times, what he might say or do. But he was so far past that now.

It seemed like ages before Castiel loosened his grip. If it were up to him, they would've stayed like that for ever, getting lost in each other. But people were starting to stare, and that was the last thing he wanted.

Still gripping Cas's shoulder, Dean looked him up and down. No words could ever describe what he was feeling at that moment. There was still that little twinkle in castiel's eyes, the one he was so terrified he'd lost. The thought was enough to make him tear up again, but he wiped his face instead.

"Hello, Dean."

"Hiya, Cas."


End file.
